"How narrow is the gate and difficult the road
that leads to life!" Matthew 7:14

In some sense, the path to heaven is very safe—but
in other respects, there is no road so dangerous! It is beset
with difficulties. One wrong step—and down
we go! And how easy it is to take that treacherous step—if
grace is absent!

What a slippery path is that—which some of
us have
to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "But as
for me, my feet were slipping—and I was almost gone!"

If we were
strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not
matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are!

Even in the best
roads—we soon falter!

In the smoothest
paths—we quickly stumble!

These feeble
knees of ours—can scarcely support our
tottering weight!

A straw may
trip us up—and a
pebble can wound us!

We are mere
infants, tremblingly taking our first steps in
the walk of faith. Our heavenly Father holds us by the arms—or
we would soon tumble down!

Oh, if we are
kept from falling, how must we bless the patience,
power and wisdom of God—who watches over us moment by
moment—and day by day! Think—
how prone we are to sin,
how apt to choose dangerous paths,
how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down
—and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have
ever done, "Glory to Him, who is able to keep us from falling, and
to present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great
joy!" Jude 24

We have many foes—who
try to push us down, and
destroy us!

The
road is rough—and we are weak!

But in addition
to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who
rush out when we least expect them, and labor to trip us up, or hurl us
down the nearest deadly precipice!

Only an
Almighty armcan preserve us from
these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us at every step! Such an
arm is engaged for our defense. He is faithful, who has promised, and
He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our
utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety!

"You must redeem the firstborn donkey with
a lamb.
But if you do not redeem it—you must kill the donkey by breaking its
neck!" Exodus 34:20

Every firstborn
creature must be the Lord's—but since the donkey
was unclean, it could not be presented in sacrifice to Him. What
then? Should it be allowed to go free from the universal law? By no
means! God admits of no exceptions. The donkey is His due—but
He will not accept it; He will not abate the claim—but yet He cannot
be pleased with the unclean victim. No way of escape remained, but
redemption—the donkey must be saved by the substitution
of a lamb
in its place; or if not redeemed, it must die!

My soul, here
is a lesson for you! That
unclean donkey is yourself! You are justly the
property of the Lord who made you and preserves you—but
you are so sinful that God will not, cannot, accept you! It has come to
this—the Lamb of God must stand in your stead—or you must die
eternally! Let all the world know of your gratitude to that spotless
Lamb who has died for you, and so redeemed you from
the fatal curse of the law!

Must it not
sometimes have been a question with the
Israelite, as to which should die—the donkey or the lamb? Would
not the man pause to estimate and compare the values of these animals?
Assuredly there was no comparison between the value of a sinful
man—and the spotless Lord Jesus! Yet the Lamb dies—and man
the donkey is spared! My soul, admire the boundless love of
God to you! Vile worms are bought—with the blood of the holy
Lamb of God! Dust and ashes are redeemed—with a price far
above silver and gold! What a doom would have been mine—had not
plenteous redemption been found!

The breaking
of the neck of the donkey was but a momentary
penalty. But who shall measure the eternal wrath to come—to
which
no limit can be imagined! Inestimably dear is the glorious Lamb—who
has redeemed me from such a doom!

~ ~ ~ ~

Little
did she know, that amid the sheaves—she would find a husband!

(Charles
Spurgeon)
"Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the
harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging
to Boaz, who was from Elimelech's family." Ruth 2:3

"She happened."
Yes, it seemed nothing but an accident—but
how divinely was it overruled! Ruth had gone forth with her
mother-in-law's
blessing, under the care of her God—to humble but honorable toil; and
the providence of God was guiding her every step! Little did she know, that amid the sheaves—she
would find a husband; and that he would make her the joint
owner of all those broad acres; and that she, a destitute foreigner,
would become an ancestor of the great Messiah!

God is very good to those who trust in Him,
and often
surprises them with
unlooked for blessings. Little do we know what may happen to us
in the future; but this sweet fact should cheer us—that nothing which
is really good for us—shall be withheld from us!

The word "chance" is banished from the Christian's vocabulary—for we
see the hand of God in everything. The seemingly trivial
events of today or tomorrow, may involve consequences of the
highest importance. Take comfort—our Lord deals as graciously with all
His servants—as He did with Ruth!

The disciples ought to have recognized Jesus, they had heard His voice
so often, and gazed upon that marred face so frequently, that it is
amazing that they did not know Him. Yet is it not so with you also?
Have you seen Jesus lately? You
have been to His table—and you have not met Him there. You are in a
dark trouble, and though He plainly says, "It is I—do not be afraid,"
yet you do not recognize Him. Alas! our eyes are blinded! We know His
voice; we have looked into His face; we have leaned our head upon His
bosom—and yet, though Christ is very near us, we are saying, "O that I
knew where I might find Him!"

We should know Jesus, for we have the Scriptures to reflect His image.
Yet how frequently we open that precious book—and have no glimpse
of our Well-beloved! Dear child of God, are you in that state? Jesus
walks through the glades of Scripture, and desires to commune with His
people. Yet you are in the garden of Scripture—but cannot see Him,
though He is always there!

Make it your prayer, "Lord, open my eyes—that I may see my Savior
present with me!" It is a blessed thing to desire to see Him.
But oh! it is better far to gaze upon Him! To those who seek
Him—He is kind; but to those who find Him—He is precious
beyond
expression!

It is well for us that, amidst all the alterations
and
vicissitudes of life, that there is . . .
One whom change cannot affect,
One whose heart can never alter,
One on whose brow mutability can make no furrows.

All other things
have changed—all other things are changing. The sun
itself grows dim with age. The world is waxing old—the
heavens and earth must soon pass away and perish! There is One alone,
who has immortality—of whose years there is no end, and in
whose person there is no change.

The delight which the
mariner feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a
day, he steps again upon the solid shore—is the satisfaction of a
Christian when, amidst all the changes of
this troublous life, he rests the foot of his faith upon
this truth, "I am the Lord—and I do not change!" The stability which
the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a
hold-fast, is like that which the Christian's hope affords him when it
fixes itself upon this glorious truth.

"With Him there is no variation!" Whatever His attributes
were of old—they are now! His power, His wisdom, His justice, His
truth, are alike
unchanged.

He has ever been the refuge of His people,
their
stronghold in the day of trouble—and He is their sure Helper still.

He is unchanged in His love. He has loved
His people
with "an everlasting love!" He loves them now, as much as ever He did!
And when all earthly things shall have melted in the last
conflagration, His love will still wear the dew of its youth.

Precious is the assurance that our God never
changes! The wheel
of providence revolves—but its axle is eternal love!

"Horror grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken Your law!"
Psalm 119:53

My soul, do you feel this holy shuddering
at the sins of others? If not, you lack inward holiness.
David's cheeks were wet with rivers of waters, because of
prevailing unholiness. Jeremiah desired eyes like fountains,
that he might lament the iniquities of Israel. Lot, a righteous
man, was distressed because of all the immorality and wickedness around
him. Those
upon whom the mark was set in Ezekiel's vision, were those who
sighed and cried because of the abominations of Jerusalem.

It cannot but grieve gracious souls—to see what pains men take to
go to Hell. They know the evil of sin experimentally, and they are
alarmed to see others flying like moths into its blaze!

Sin makes the righteous shudder, because it violates God's holy law,
which is to every man's highest interest to keep. Sin pulls down
the pillars of the society!

Sin in others horrifies a believer, because it puts him in mind of the
vileness of his own heart. When he sees a heinous sinner, he cries, "He
fell today—and, but for God's grace—I may fall tomorrow!"

Sin is horrible to a believer, because it crucified his Savior! He sees
in every iniquity—the nails andthe spear! How
can a
saved soul behold that cursed Christ-killing sin—without
abhorrence?

Say, my heart—do you sensibly join in all this? It is an awful thing
to insult God to His face. The good God deserves better
treatment; the great God claims it; the just God will
have it—or repay His adversary to his face!

An awakened heart trembles at the audacity of sin—and stands
alarmed at the contemplation of its punishment. How monstrous a
thing is sin!How direful a doom is prepared for the
ungodly!

My soul, never laugh at sin's fooleries—lest you come to smile
at sin itself! Sin is your
Lord's enemy, and your
enemy—view it with detestation, for only so, can you evidence
the possession of holiness, without which no man can see the Lord.

Prayers are instantly noticed in heaven.
The moment Saul
began to pray—the Lord heard him. Here is comfort for the distressed,
but praying soul. Oftentimes a poor broken-hearted one bends his
knee—but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and
tears. Yet that groan has made all the harps of
heaven
thrill
with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in
the
lachrymatory of heaven. "You put all my tears into Your bottle,"
implies that they are caught—as they flow!

The suppliant, who can only groan out his
words,
will be well
understood by the Most High God. He may only look up with misty eye;
but prayer is the falling of a tear!Tears are the diamonds of heaven!Sighs are
a part of the music of Jehovah's court, and are numbered with the most
sublime strains which reach the majesty on high!

Do
not think that your prayer, however weak or
trembling—will be unregarded. Our God not only hears prayer—but
also loves to hear it. "He does not forget the cry of the
humble." True, He does not regard proud looks and lofty words. He has
no
concern for the pomp and pageantry of kings. He does not listen to
the swell of martial music. He has no regard for the triumph and pride
of
man. But wherever there is . . .
a heart full with godly sorrow,
or a lip quivering with agony,
or a deep groan,
or a penitential sigh
—the heart of Jehovah is open! He marks that prayer down in the registry
of His memory! He puts our prayers, like rose
leaves—between
the pages of His book of remembrance; and when the volume is opened at
last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom!

Our days are few, and are far
better spent in devoting ourselves to good works,
than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance.
Incessant discussion of subjects of no practical value, do a
world of mischief. Our churches
suffer much from petty wars over abstruse
points and unimportant questions. After everything has been
said that can be said—neither party is any the wiser! Therefore, the
discussion no more promotes knowledge, than love! It is foolish to sow
in so barren a field.

Questions
upon . . .
points wherein Scripture is silent;
mysteries which belong to God alone;
prophecies of doubtful interpretation;
modes of observing mere human ceremonies
—are all foolish! Wise men will avoid them! Our business is neither to
ask nor answer foolish questions—but to avoid them
altogether! If we observe the apostle's precept to be careful to
devote
ourselves to good works—we shall find ourselves far too much
occupied
with profitable business—to take much interest in unworthy,
contentious, and needless strivings!

There are, however, some
questions which are the reverse of
foolish—which we must not avoid—but fairly and honestly answer, such
as these:
Am I growing in grace and Christ-likeness?
Does my life adorn the doctrine of my Savior?
What more can I do for Jesus?
Such inquiries as these, urgently demand our attention!

If we have been at all given to
arguing and disputing, let us
now turn to a service so much more profitable. Let us endeavor to lead
others, both by our precept and example, to "avoid
foolish questions."

"Laban replied—It is not our custom
here, to give
the younger daughter in marriage before the older one." Genesis 29:26

We do not excuse Laban for his
dishonesty—but we desire to
learn from the
custom which he quoted as his excuse. There are some things which
must be taken in order; and if we would win the second—we
must secure the
first. The second may be the more desirable in our eyes—but the
rule of the heavenly country must stand—the elder must be married
first.

For instance, many men desire
the beautiful Rachel of joy
and peace—but they must first be wedded to the bleary-eyed
Leah of repentance. Everyone falls in love with happiness, and many would
cheerfully serve twice seven years to enjoy it. But according to the rule of the
Lord's kingdom—we must be
wedded to the Leah of real holiness—before the Rachel
of true happiness
can be gained.

Heaven is not first—but
second; and only by persevering to
the end, can we enter into it.

The cross must be
carried—before the crown
can be worn!

We must follow our Lord in His
sufferings—or we shall never
rest with Him in glory.

Dear heart, are you so vain as
to hope to break through this
heavenly rule? Do you hope for reward without labor—or honor
without toil? Dismiss the idle expectation! Be content to take the
difficult things—for the sake of the sweet love of Jesus, which will
recompense you for all. In such a spirit, laboring and suffering, you
will find that bitters grow sweet—and that
hard things grow easy. Like Jacob, your years of
service will seem unto you but a few days—for the love which you have
to Jesus. And when the dear hour of the wedding feast shall come—all
your toils shall be as though they had never been! An hour with
Jesus—will make amends for ages of pain and labor!

Nothing can fully satisfy a person—but the Lord's love and the Lord's
own self. Christians have tried other pursuits—but they have been
driven out of such fatal refuges.

Solomon, the wisest of men, was permitted to make experiments
for us all; and to do for us—what we must not dare to do for
ourselves. Here is his testimony in his own words, "So I became greater
by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I denied myself nothing my
eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. Yet when I surveyed all
that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was
meaningless, a chasing after the wind! Nothing was gained under the
sun!" "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly
meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"

What! Is the whole of it meaningless? O favored monarch—is
there nothing in all your wealth? Nothing in that wide dominion
reaching from
the river even to the sea? Nothing in your glorious palaces? Is there
nothing—in all your music and dancing, and wine and luxury?
"Nothing!" he says, "but a chasing after the wind!" This was his final verdict—after he had
trodden the whole round of pleasure.

To embrace our Lord Jesus, to dwell in His love, and be fully assured
of union with Him—this is all in all. Dear reader, you need
not try other forms of pleasure in order to see whether they are better
than Christ. If you roam the whole world—you will see no
sights like a sight of the Savior's face! If you could have all the
comforts of life—without the
Savior, you would be most
wretched. But if you possess Christ—though you should rot in a
dungeon—you would find it a paradise! Though you should live in
obscurity, or die with famine—yet you would be satisfied with the
favor and goodness of the Lord!

Garment-rending and other
external
signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested, and are frequently
hypocritical. True repentance is far more difficult,
and consequently far less common. Unsaved men will attend to the most
multiplied and minute religious ceremonies and regulations—for such
things are pleasing to their flesh. But true godliness is too humbling,
too heart-searching, too spiritual for the tastes of
carnal men! They prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and
worldly. External religious rituals are temporarily comfortable;
eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is
puffed up. But they are ultimately delusive, for at the day of
judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than religious
ceremonies and rituals to lean upon.

Apart from vital godliness—all religion is utterly vain! When
offered without a sincere heart, every form of religious worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery
of the majesty of God!

Heart-rending is divinely
wrought—and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief
which is personally experienced, not in mere form—but as a
deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each
believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of—but
keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the
living God. It is powerfully humiliating and sin-purging! But also, it
is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which
proud unhumbled souls are unable to receive! This heart-rending
distinctly belongs to the elect of God—and to
them alone.

The text commands us to rend our hearts—but they are naturally
as hard
as marble! How then, can this be done? We must take them to
Calvary! A dying Savior's voice rent the rocks once—and it is just as
powerful now. O blessed Spirit, let us effectually hear the death-cries
of Jesus—and ourhearts shall be rent!

"The coneysare but a feeble folk—yet they make their home in the rocky
cliffs." Proverbs 30:26

Conscious of their own natural defenselessness, the coneys resort to
clefts in the rocky cliffs, and are secure from their enemies.

My heart, be willing to gather a lesson from these feeble folk. You are
as weak and as exposed to peril as the timid coneys—strive to be as
wise as they are to seek a shelter. My best security is within
the fortifications of an immutable Jehovah, where His unalterable
promises stand like giant cliffs of rock. It will be well with you, my
heart, if you can always hide yourself in the bulwarks of His
glorious
attributes, all of which are guarantees of safety for those who put
their trust in Him.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, I have done so and have found myself
like David in the cave of Adullam—safe from the cruelty of my enemy. I
experience
the blessedness of the man who puts his trust in the Lord—for long
ago, when Satan and my sins pursued me—I fled to the
cleft of the Rock—Christ Jesus! And in His riven side—I found a
secure resting-place!

Dear heart, run to Him anew today, whatever your present grief may be!
Jesus cares for you! Jesus will console and help you!

No monarch in his impregnable fortress, is more secure than the coney
in his rocky shelter. The leader of a thousand armies is not one whit
better protected—than the little dweller in the rocky cleft.

Just so, in Jesus—the weak are strong, and the defenseless are safe!
They could not be more strong—if they were giants! They could
not be more safe—if they were in heaven! Faith gives to men
on earth—the protection of the God of heaven! More
protection they cannot need, and need not wish.

The coneys cannot build a castle—but they avail themselves of
what is there already. Just so, I cannot make a refuge for myself—but
Jesus has provided it, His Father has given it, His Spirit has revealed
it—and lo, I enter it and am safe from every foe!

"We may throw the dice—but the
Lord determines how they fall." Proverbs 16:33

If the fall of the dice is under the Lord's control—then whose is the
arrangement of our whole life? If the simple casting of the dice is
guided by Him—how much more the events of our entire life—especially
when we are told by our blessed Savior, "The very hairs of your head
are all numbered! Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your
Father!" It would bring a holy calm over your mind, dear
friend, if you were always to remember this. It would so relieve your
mind from worry—that you would be the better able to walk in patience,
calmness, and cheerfulness, as a Christian should.

When a man is anxious—he cannot pray with faith, or serve his Master.
When you worry and fret about your lot and circumstances, you are meddling
with Christ's business, and
neglecting your own! You have been attempting "providing" work—and
forgetting that it is yours to "obey". Be wise and attend to the
obeying—and let Christ manage the providing.

Come and survey your Father's storehouse, and ask whether He will let
you starve—while He has laid up so great an abundance in His garner!
Look at His heart of mercy—and ask if that heart can ever
prove
unkind! Look at His inscrutable wisdom—and ask if that wisdom
can
ever be at fault. Above all, look to Jesus Christ your Intercessor,
and ask yourself, while He pleads, can your Father deal ungraciously
with you? If He remembers even sparrows, will He forget one of His
poor children?

"Cast your burden upon the Lord—and He will take care of you. He will
not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 55:22

You have not the liberty of making of
your own cross; although unbelief is a master carpenter at
cross-making. Neither are you permitted to choose
your own cross; although self-will would gladly be lord and master.
Your cross is prepared and appointed for you by
divine love—and you are cheerfully to accept it. You are to take up
the cross as your chosen portion, and not to stand caviling at it.
Jesus bids you to submit your shoulder to His easy yoke.
Do not . . .
kick at it in petulance, or
trample on it in vain-glory, or
fall under it in despair, or
run away from it in fear.
Take it up like a true follower of Jesus.

Jesus was a cross-bearer; He leads the way
in the path of sorrow. Surely you could not desire a better
guide! And
if He carried a cross—what nobler burden would you desire?

The Way of the Cross is the way
of safety—do not fear to tread its thorny paths.

Beloved, the
cross is not made of soft feathers, or lined with velvet—it
is heavy and galling to disobedient shoulders! But it is not
an iron
cross, though your fears have painted it with iron colors! It is a wooden
cross, and a man can carry it, for the Man of sorrows carried the
load. Take up your cross, and by the power of the Spirit—you will soon
be so in love with it, that like Moses, you would not exchange the reproach
of Christ
for all the treasures of Egypt!

Remember that the
cross will soon be followed by the crown. The
thought of the coming weight of glory—will greatly lighten the
present heaviness of trouble. May the Lord help you to bow your
heart in submission to the divine will—that you may
go forth to this day's cross with the holy and submissive spirit
which befits a follower of the Crucified.

My
Father,
I desire to enter Your
sacred presence in the name of Jesus. Where would I be, but for such a
Savior! I have no plea of my own.

My best actions —
how full of
blemishes!

My purest aims and motives — how
mingled with
selfishness!

My best righteousness —
how marred with imperfection
and defilement!

My best thoughts — how sinful and unworthy!

My best prayers — how cold and languid, requiring themselves
to be prayed for!

If You, O Lord, would mark iniquities — who could
stand!

I know not what entanglements may hinder me in prosecuting my
pilgrim way, what temptations may overtake me, what sorrows
may darken me. Be about my path all the day long.

Strengthen me, good Lord, for the duties which are before me
this day. I cannot forecast its perils and dangers and
temptations. I implore the continuance of Your sovereign,
sustaining, restraining grace — to keep me from falling. Hold me up —
and then I shall be safe! Let
me resume my
pilgrim journey, leaning always on Your omnipotent arm.

May I know in my experience,
that I can do
all things, and endure all things, through Christ who
strengthens me. When tempted to worldliness, or sloth, or
self-indulgence — may I look to Jesus for strength. Conform me to
His image; mold me into His holy example. In every difficult and
perplexing path, may this be my guiding maxim and direction — "How
would Jesus, my Lord and Master have acted in this situation?" And
knowing His will, may I delight to do it.

May I ever exercise a jealous scrutiny over my thoughts and words
and actions. Preserve me from . . .
all pride and vain-glory;
all selfishness and covetousness;
all that would lead me to
exalt myself;
all guilty and unworthy compromises with the world,
the flesh, and the devil.

May the consciousness of Your presence and favor — lessen my every cross
and sweeten my every care. I anew commend myself to Your
gracious keeping and guidance this day. Watch over me
for good; and may every power of my body and every faculty of my mind,
combine in devotion to Your service and glory. Wean me from all that is
fleeting and perishable. Let it be my highest joy to follow You
— and my deepest pain to grieve You.

Other refuges will fail, other props will be removed;
may I find in You, an unfailing refuge and portion
and friend! I go forth to the duties of a new morning, in
simple dependence on Your grace and strength.

My Father in heaven, draw near to me in Your infinite mercy.
May all vain and wandering thoughts be silenced and repressed, as I now
approach Your footstool. I adore You for the rich blessings that are
treasured up in Christ. In Him I have . . .
pardon,
peace,
acceptance,
eternal life,
a balm for every wound,
a solace for every trial.

May I continually look to His sympathetic hand which dries all
tears, and listen to His gracious voice which
soothes all sorrows. May it be my habitual desire to follow in His
footsteps and to reflect His image; to live and to walk so as to always
do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Gladden me this day with Your presence. Morning by morning, as I
set out on my path of duty, may it be my increasing desire to attain a
nearer and closer conformity to You and to Your holy will—to have more
childlike tenderness of spirit, childlike obedience, childlike fear of
grieving or offending a Father so full of pitying love and mercy.

I have to lament, heavenly Father—the proneness of my heart to
depart from You—seeking my happiness too often in things which perish
with the using. Break the world's alluring spell. Disenchant its
delusive fascinations! Elevate my affections, purify my desires. May I
seek to have the consciousness of Your pure, loving eye ever upon me,
living under the supremacy of that elevating motive—to walk so as to
please You.

Subdue my unmortified sin; quicken me in every good and holy way.
Enthrone Yourself in my soul and life, as Lord of all; and bring me to
live more constantly and habitually under the constraining influence of
Your love.

Let it ever be to me, a gracious and consoling thought, that "the Lord
reigns!" I am but clay in the hand of the almighty Potter! All
that concerns me is directed and regulated by Your infinite wisdom and
unchanging love. Neither is there anything arbitrary in Your
dealings with me. I would lie passive at Your feet, saying, "Do to me
and with me—as seems good in Your sight!"

I will be still, and know that you are my God. I flee to
the sanctuary of Your covenant love, rejoicing in You as my Father, and
in Christ as my Redeemer. May it ever be mine, to accept the cup
of afflictionwhich You put into my hand—as a cup of love, saying, "Not as I will,
but as You will."

I look forward to that joyous time when, fully purified alike from
sin and sorrow, I shall enter within the heavenly gates and stand
faultless before Your throne!

I ask these and every other needed
blessing, through the all-sufficient merits, and all-prevailing name of
Jesus Christ, my only Lord and Savior.

~ ~
~ ~

Father
knows best!

My Father in heaven,
I approach the footstool of Your throne of grace, through the merits
and mediation of Him whom You always hear. My best motives are
mingled with selfishness; my best actions are marred with
defilement. I feel the weakness of my faith, the coldness of my
love, and the fitfulness of my holy desires. I cast
myself anew on Him who has done all and suffered all
and procured all for me!

I have continual need of Your grace, and of the influence of Your Holy
Spirit. Protect and preserve me by Your mighty power. If at times I am
prone to spiritual declension, reclaim my truant heart from its
wanderings. Give me increasing tenderness of conscience, scrupulously
avoiding anything that would compromise godly principle, or dim the
sanctities of pure thought and holy deed. Enable me to cultivate those elevating
virtues which make life truly beautiful. By simplicity of trust,
consistency of obedience, and consecration of heart and life — may I
ever seek to glorify Your holy name.

Bless Your children in affliction. May it be their joy and
privilege to pour their sorrows into a Father's ear. Comfort
them as a tender mother comforts her distressed child — and then they
shall be truly comforted. Be the rest-giver and the rest-provider for
Your weary and heavy-laden children.

Have mercy on the wide family of Your afflicted ones. May they take
refuge in the very arms that are chastising them, feeling assured that
their heavenly Father knows best,
that they have need of all these things. May it be theirs to
look beyond what is frail
and fleeting and transitory — and anticipate the time
when every tear-dimmed eye shall wake up amid the brightness
and glory
of an unsinning, unsorrowing, tearless world!

This age is especially the dispensation
of the Holy
Spirit,
in which Jesus cheers us, not by His personal presence, as He
shall do in glory—but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the
Holy Spirit, who is evermore the Comforter of His people. It
is His office to console the hearts of God's people. He convinces
of sin; He illuminates and instructs—but still
the main part of His work lies . . .
in comforting the hearts of the renewed,
in confirming the weak, and
lifting up all those who are bowed down.

He does this—by revealing Jesus to them! The
Holy
Spirit consoles—but
Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy
Spirit is the Physician—but Jesus is the medicine. The
Holy Spirit heals the wound—but it is by applying the holy ointment of
Christ's grace. The Holy Spirit is the
Comforter—but Jesus is the Comfort!

Now, with such rich provision for his need, why
should the
Christian
be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be
your Comforter. Do you imagine, O weak and trembling believer, that
He will be negligent of His sacred trust? Can you suppose that
He has undertaken what He cannot or will not perform? If it is His
special work to strengthen you, and to comfort
you—do you suppose He has forgotten His business, or that
He will
fail in the loving office which He sustains towards you? No! Do
not think so harshly of the tender and blessed Spirit, whose name is
"the Comforter." He delights to give beauty instead of ashes, the oil
of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a
spirit of despair. Trust in Him, and He will surely comfort you—until
the house of mourning is closed forever—and the marriage
feast has begun!

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

In the new birth, God exerts a quickening influence or
power upon His own elect. Regeneration is very, very much more than
simply shedding a few tears because of some temporary remorse
over sin. It is far more than changing our course of life, the
leaving off of bad habits and the substituting of good ones. It is
something different from the mere cherishing and practicing of noble
ideals. It goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some
popular evangelist by the hand, signing a pledge-card, or "joining the
church." The new birth is no mere turning over a new leaf—but
is the inception and reception of a new life! It is no mere reformation,
but a radical transformation. In short, the new birth is a
miracle—the result of the supernatural operation of God. It is radical, revolutionary, lasting!

In the new birth:

God lays hold of one who is spiritually dead—and quickens him
into newness of life!

God takes up one who was shaped
in iniquity and conceived in sin—and conforms him to the image of
His Son!

God seizes a drudge of the Devil—and makes him a member of His
holy family!

God picks up a destitute beggar—and makes him
joint-heir with Christ!

God comes to one who is full of enmity against Him—and
gives him a new heart that is full of love for Him!

God stoops to one who by nature is a rebel—and
works in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure!

By His irresistible power,
God transforms . . .
a sinner—into a saint;
an enemy—into His friend,
a drudge of the Devil—into His beloved child!

"He spreads snow like wool;
He
scatters frost like ashes;
He throws His hailstones like
crumbs.
Who can withstand His cold?
He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow."
Psalm
147:15-18

What a declaration is this! The changes of the elements are beneath
God's
sovereign
control. It is God who withholds the rain—and it is God who gives
the
rain . . .
when He wills,where He wills,as He
wills, andon whom He wills!

"I also withheld the rain from
you while there were still three months until harvest. I sent rain on
one city—but no rain on another. One field received rain—while a
field
with no rain withered. I struck you with blight and
mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and
vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees! I sent plagues like
those of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword . . .
says the Lord." Amos
4:7-10

"The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters
become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His
lightning through them. At His direction they swirl around over
the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. He brings
the clouds to punish men—or to water His earth and show His
love." Job 37:10-13

Truly, then, God governs the elements!

Earth and wind,
fire and rain,
hail and snow,
stormy winds and angry seas
—all obey His omnipotent word—and fulfill His sovereign pleasure!
Therefore, when we complain about the weather,
we
are, in reality, murmuring against God!

Let His Word speak once more: "The Lord does
whatever He pleases throughout all heaven and earth,
and on the seas
and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over the
earth. He sends the lightning with the rain, and
releases the wind from His storehouses." Psalm 135:6-7

"You will not come to
Me—that you might have life." John
5:40
"No one can come to Me—unless the Father who sent Me
draws him." John 6:44

Why is it, that no one can come to Christ unless he is
'drawn'? The answer is, Because his wicked heart loves sin—and hates Christ! The
heart of the every man is so "desperately wicked" that if he is left to himself—he will never come to Christ!

For the sinner to come to Christ that he might have life, is for him .
. .
to realize the awful danger of his situation;
to see that the sword of Divine justice is suspended over his
head;
to awaken to the fact that there is but a step between him and
death,
and that after death is the 'judgment'! And in consequence of this
discovery, to earnestly strive . . .
to flee from the wrath to come,
to cry unto God for mercy, and
to agonize to enter in at the 'strait gate'!

To come to Christ for life, is for the sinner . . .
to feel and acknowledge that he is utterly destitute of any
claim
upon God's favor;
to see himself as 'without strength,' lost and undone;
to admit that he is deserving of nothing but eternal wrath, thus
taking side with God against himself;
to cast himself into the dust before God, and humbly sue for
Divine
mercy.

To come to Christ for life, is for the sinner . . .
to abandon his own righteousness;
to disown his own wisdom—and be guided by Jesus;
to repudiate his own will—and be ruled by Jesus;
to unreservedly receive the Lord Jesus as his Savior and Lord,
as his
All in all.

Such, in part and in brief, is what is implied and involved in "coming
to Christ." But is the sinner willing to take such an attitude before
God? No! For in the first place, he does not realize the danger of his
situation, and in consequence makes no earnest attempt to escape.
Instead, men are for the most part at ease, and whenever they are
disturbed by the alarms of conscience or the dispensations of
providence, they flee to any other refuge but Christ!

They will not acknowledge that all their 'good works' are as filthy
rags but, like the Pharisee, will thank God they are not as bad as
other heinous sinners.

They are not ready to receive Christ as their Lord—for they
are unwilling to part with their idols! They had rather hazard
their soul's eternal welfare—than give them up!

Hence we say that, if left to himself, the natural man is so depraved
at heart—that he has no moral and spiritual ability to come to Christ!

"The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can it be. So then, those who are
in the flesh cannot please God!" Romans 8:7, 8

"For the Lord Almighty has purposed—and who can thwart Him? His hand
is stretched out—and who can turn it back?" Isaiah 14:27

To say that God is sovereign, is to declare that He is the
Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth—so that none
can . . .
defeat His counsels,
thwart His purpose,
or resist His will.

Whatever takes place in
time—is but the outworking of that which He has decreed in eternity.

The
sovereignty of the God of Scripture, is . . .
absolute,
irresistible
and
infinite!

We insist that God does . . .as He pleases,only as
He pleases,always as He pleases!

"But our God is in the heavens—He has done
whatever He has pleased!"
Psalm 115:3

"The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the
earth, in the seas and all their depths!" Psalm 135:6

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as
nothing. He does as He pleases
with the
powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His
hand or say to Him: What have you done?" Daniel 4:35

Dear friend,
I truly pity those who rise
early and study late—with no higher prize and prospect in view, than
the obtaining of academic honors! Such pursuits will before
long appear (as they really are) as vain as the foolish games of
children! May the Lord impress them with the noble ambition of
living to and for Him. If these scholars, who are laboring for
pebbles under the semblance of goodly pearls, had a
discovery of the Pearl of great price—how quickly and gladly
would they lay down their admired attainments, and become
fools—that they might be truly wise! Their academic
studies, if taken in the aggregate, are little better than splendid
trifles!

Friend, what a snare have you escaped! You would have been
nothing but a scholar—had not God visited your heart and
enlightened you by His grace! Now I trust you account your former academic
gains, but loss—compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus. What you have attained in the way of learning,
will be useful to you—if sanctified, and chiefly so by the knowledge
which you have of its insufficiency to any valuable purpose in
the great concerns of life—knowing God and walking with Him!

The Lord is my Shepherd! This is a comprehensive word. The
sheep can do nothing for themselves. The Shepherd must guide, guard,
feed, heal and recover. It is well for us—that our Shepherd is
the Lord Almighty! If His power, care, compassion and fullness were not
infinite—the poor sheep would be forsaken, starved and die! But we
have a Shepherd full of care, full of kindness, full of power, who has
said, "I will search for My lost ones who strayed away, and I will
bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen
the weak!" Ezekiel 34:16. How tender are these expressions, and how
well fulfilled! His sheep feed in the midst
of wolves—yet are safely preserved; for, though they cannot
see Him—His eye and His heart are ever upon them!

Which of God's children have not cause to say, "My soul is among
lions!" But our Shepherd stops their mouths, or only permits
them to gape and roar, and show their teeth. He does not allow them to
bite and tear us at their will. Let us trust our Shepherd—and
all shall be well.

As to daily occurrences, it is best to trust that a daily portion of comforts
and crosses—each one the most suitable to our case—is
adjusted and appointed by the hand which was once nailed to the
cross
for us! We must trust, that where the path of duty and prudence
leads
us—that there is the best situation we could possibly be in, at that
time.

September 1764
My dear Madam,
I understand something of your warfare. Paul describes his own
case in few words, "Conflicts
on the outside, fears on the inside." Does not this comprehend all
you would say? And how are you to know experimentally, either your own
weakness—or the power, wisdom and grace of God, seasonably and
sufficiently afforded—but by frequent and various trials? How
are the graces
of patience, resignation, meekness and faith, to be discovered and
increased—but by the exercise of trials?

The Lord has chosen, called, and armed us for the fight! Shall we wish to be
excused from the battle? Shall we not rather rejoice that we have
the honor to appear in such a cause, under such a Captain,
such a banner and in such a company?

God has graciously provided:
a complete suit of armor,
formidable weapons,
precious balm to heal us—if we receive a wound, and
precious cordials to revive us—when we are in danger of
fainting!

Further, we are assured of the victory beforehand! O what a crown
of glory is prepared for every conqueror, which Jesus, the
righteous Judge, the gracious Savior—shall place upon every faithful
head with His own hand!

So let us not be weary and faint, for in due season we shall reap! The
time is short! In a little while, the struggle of indwelling sin,
and all the conflicts surrounding us, shall be known no more! "Be
faithful, even to the point of death—and I will give you the crown of
life!" Revelation 2:10

What a multitude of eyes and hearts wait at the Throne of Grace! He has a numerous and necessitous family—but
He is rich enough to supply them all—and His tender compassions extend
to the poorest and most unworthy of them! Like the sun—He can
cheer and enlighten millions of His poor pensioners at once! He gives
to each one as bountifully—as if there were no others to partake of
His favor!

His best blessings are not diminished—by being shared among many. The
greatest earthly monarch would soon be poor—if he was to give but a
pittance to all his subjects. But Jesus has unsearchable,
inexhaustible
riches of grace to bestow!

The innumerable assembly around the Eternal Throne are all continually
supplied from His fullness; and yet there is enough and to spare for
His earthly children also—and for all who shall come after us! May He
give us an eager appetite—a hunger and thirst that will not be
satisfied with anything short of the Bread of Life. We may
confidently open our mouths wide—for He has promised to fill them!

"Let us therefore approach the Throne of Grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need!"
Hebrews 4:16

August, 1772
My dear Miss,
I received some instruction where I little expected it—at Mr. Cox's Museum.
The efforts of his ingenuity amazed me—while at the same time I was
struck with their insignificance. His fine things were curious
beyond
all I had any idea of; and yet what are they better than toys and
amusements,
suited to the taste of children! And notwithstanding the variety of
their motions, they were all destitute of life.

There is unspeakably
more wisdom and skill in the mechanism of a butterfly or a bee
which flutters unnoticed in the fields—than in all his fancy
apparatus put together! But the works of God are disregarded,
while the feeble imitations of them which men can
produce gain universal applause! If you and I could make self-moving
lions and elephants, what would it
profit us?

Blessed be God, that He has given us some glimpses of His
wisdom and love—by which our hearts, more hard and lifeless by nature
than the stones in the street—are constrained and enabled to move
upwards, and to seek after Him. He has given us in His Word, a
greater treasure than all that we ever beheld with our eyes, and a hope
which shall flourish when the earth and all its works shall be burnt
up! What will all the fine things of men's devising be worth on
that day?

"I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You
have afflicted me!" Psalm 119:75

"God disciplines us for our good—that we may share in His
holiness." Hebrews 12:10

In Scripture, we read much
concerning the emptiness, vanity and uncertainty of the present world.

When our minds are enlightened by the Holy Spirit—then we receive and
acknowledge what His Word declares to be truth. Yet if we remain long
without changes and trials, and when our
path is very smooth—we are for the
most part but faintly affected with what we profess to believe. But
when some of our dearest friends die, or we ourselves are
brought low with pain and sickness—then we not only say, but feel
that this world must not, cannot be our rest!

We know by experience, that though afflictions in
themselves are not joyous—but grievous—yet in due season they yield
the peaceful fruits of righteousness. Various are
the blessed fruits which afflictions produce:

By affliction, prayer is quickened—for our prayers are very
apt to grow languid and formal in a time of ease.

Affliction greatly helps us to understand the Scriptures,
especially the promises; most of which are made to times
of trouble. We cannot so well know their fullness, sweetness and
certainty—as when we have been in the situation to which they are
suited, have been enabled to trust and plead them, and found them
fulfilled in our own case.

We are usually indebted to affliction—as the means or occasion of the
most signal discoveries we are favored with—of the wisdom, power,
and faithfulness of the Lord. These are best observed by the
evident proofs we have—that He is near to support us under trouble,
and that He can and does deliver us out of it.

Likewise, many of our graces cannot thrive or manifest
themselves, without trials—such as resignation, patience, meekness and
long-suffering. Strength of grace is not ordinarily acquired by
those who sit still and live at ease.

Afflictions do us good likewise, as they make us more acquainted with
what is in our own hearts, and thereby promote humiliation and
self-abasement. There are abominations which, like nests of vipers,
lie so quietly within our hearts, that we hardly suspect they are
there—until the rod of affliction rouses them! Then they hiss and spit their venom! This
discovery is indeed very distressing—yet, until it is made, we are
prone to think ourselves much less vile than we really are, and cannot
so heartily abhor ourselves and repent in dust and ashes.

I must write a sermon rather than a letter—if I would
enumerate all the good fruits which, by the power of
sanctifying grace, are produced from this bitter tree of affliction!

While we have such a depraved nature, and live in such a polluted
world; while the roots of pride, vanity, self-dependence and
self-seeking, are so strong within us—we need a variety of sharp
afflictions to keep us from cleaving to the dust!

"Before I was afflicted I went
astray—but now I obey Your Word." Psalm 119:67

January 27, 1778
My dear friend,
At present it is January with me—both within and without.
The outward sun shines and looks pleasant—but his beams are faint,
and too feeble to dissolve the frost.

Is it just so in my heart. I have many bright and pleasant beams of
truth in my mind's view—but they have but little power to warm
my
heart—and cold predominates in my frost-bound
spirit!

I could tell a stranger something about Jesus, which would perhaps
astonish him—such a glorious person is He! Such wonderful love! Such
humiliation! Such a life! Such a death! I could tell of what He is in
Himself, and what He is to His people! What a sun! What a shield!
What a fortress! What a friend! My tongue can run on upon
these themes sometimes; and could my heart keep pace with it—I
would be the happiest fellow in the country!Stupid
creature! to know these things so well—and yet be
no more affected with them!

Indeed, I have reason to be upon ill terms with myself! It is strange
that pride should ever find anything in my experience to feed
upon—but this completes my character for folly, vileness, and
inconsistency—that I am not only vile—but proud!
And though I am convinced I am a very wretch, and nothing before
the Lord—yet I am prone to go forth among my fellow-worms, as though I
were wise and good!

You ask me what I am doing. I must admit, that too much of my time passes
in busy idleness, too much in waking dreams. I aim at
something—but hindrances from within and without—make it
difficult for me to accomplish anything! I dare not say that I am
absolutely idle, or that I willfully waste much of my time.
I have seldom one hour free from interruption: letters come that must
be answered, visitors who must be received, and business which must be
attended to. I have a good many sheep and lambs to look after—sick and
afflicted souls, dear to the Lord—and these must not be neglected.
Among these various avocations, night comes before I am ready
for noon!

O precious, irrecoverable time! O that I had
more wisdom in redeeming and improving you!

I beg you to pray for me. I am a poor creature—and full of needs. I
seem to need . . .
the wisdom of Solomon,
the meekness of Moses, and
the zeal of Paul—
to enable me to fulfill my ministry.

October 27, 1778
My dear friend,
How industriously is Satan served! I was formerly one of his most
active under-tempters! Not content with running down the broad way
which leads to destruction by myself—I was indefatigable in enticing
others! And, had my influence been equal to my wishes—I would have carried the whole human race to hell
with me! And doubtless some have already perished, to whose
destruction I was greatly instrumental, by tempting them to sin, and by
poisoning and hardening them with principles of infidelity. And yet
I was spared! When I think of the most with whom I spent my
ungodly days of ignorance, I am ready to say, "I alone have escaped
alive!"

Surely I have not half the activity and zeal in the service of Him who snatched
me as abrand out of the burning—as I had in the service
of His enemy! Then the whole stream of my endeavors and
affections went one way; now my best desires are continually
crossed, counteracted, and spoiled, by the sin which dwells in me! Then
the tide of a corrupt nature bore me along; now I have to
strive and swim against it.

Had my abilities and opportunities been equal to my heart desires—I would have been a monster of profaneness and
profligacy! A common drunkard or harlot is a petty sinner—compared
to what I once was! I had unabated ambition, and wanted to rank in
wickedness among the foremost of the human race!
"O to grace how great a debtor—daily I'm constrained to be!"

August 28, 1779
My dear friend,
The days speed away apace! Each one bears away its own burden with
it—to return no more. Both pleasures and pains which
are past—are gone forever! What is yet future will
likewise, soon be past.

Our final end will shortly arrive! O to realize the thought, and to
judge
of things now in some measure suitable to the opinion which we shall
form of them, when we are about to leave them all! Many things
which now either elate or depress us—will then
appear to be trifles as light as air!
Only one thing is needful—
to have our hearts united to Jesus in humble faith;
to set Him always before us;
to rejoice in Him as our Shepherd and our portion;
to submit to all His appointments, not of necessity, because He is
stronger than us—but with a cheerful acquiescence, because He is wise
and good, and loves us better than we do ourselves;
to feed upon His truth;
to have our understandings, wills, affections, imaginations,
memory—all filled and impressed with the great mysteries of His
redeeming love;
to do all for Jesus;
to receive all from Jesus;
to find all in Jesus!

I have mentioned many things, but they are all comprised in one—a
life of faith in Jesus!

We are empty vessels in ourselves—but we
cannot remain empty. Unless Jesus dwells in our hearts, and fills them
with His power and presence—they will be
filled with folly, vanity, and vexation!